Myth About Cat Ownership #2: Cats are emotionless little heathens

Cats are little monsters, amirite? I feel as though most cat owners have "monster"

names for their cats. Monster, bad boy, "oh you little shit"... The options are endless. But, to have a bad-cat-name it usually means you have more endearing names to match. I can't say Arthur's bad-cat-names where PETA could find it, but his loving nicknames are handsome man and chonky boy. Does he do bad cat things? Sure. Does he occasionally (or not so occasionally) break into the pantry, break open a loaf of bread, and then proceed to spread bread around the house? I mean, sure. Wait, where was I going with this?

What got me thinking about this again was an article written by a "man" named Joseph Stromberg for Vox called "What research says about cats: they're selfish, unfeeling, environmentally harmful creatures". The only thing I can agree with him on is that domestic cats being let outdoors is known to have devastating impacts

on our environment and wildlife. In this article he goes on to write about cat behavior, as the animal professional he is (hard eye roll). He talks about how key behaviors such as not coming when called and not behaving as a human child would when their "parent" temporarily "abandons" them.

If people would stop anthropomorphizing (aka assigning human personality traits to animals) our cats, or even stop comparing them to more domesticated pets like dogs, then our cats would all be better off. No, not all cats come when called. And, yes, they do hear you and understand that you are calling them. Does this mean they don't have affection for you?

I feel like that has to be a joke. They are cats. Looking into how far removed domestic cats are from their wild ancestors... the truth is, the genetic difference is not very impressive. Especially when compared to the most domesticated animal out there: the dog. You start to see more dog-like behavior in the more extreme purebred cats such as sphynx, oriental shorthairs, and any of the curly-coated rexes. But, when looking at our more common domestic shorthair housecats, they carry more behavior traits similar to that of wild cats.

In his article he also uses his long history working in animal behavior (is my sarcasm strong enough?) to surmise that the act of scent marking is strictly for territory and dominance and carries no affection in it. Anyone who has studied either domestic or wild animals (I have studied both) knows that scent transferring is extremely complicated. It can range from (yes) territory marking, claiming mates, leaving their scent on their closest family members, to strictly affection. I can say this confidently for one reason: kittens.

Kittens: sweet babies who are completely reliant on their mothers, and have no

reason to be territorial, participate in signs of affection with said mother. Yes, that includes head bumping and cheek rubbing. When we look at the traits that a lot of our domestic dogs have it often includes physical traits carried over from puppyhood: floppy ears, barking, larger eyes, etc. Domestic cats also have one big trait that carries over from kittenhood that does not arise in wild, adult cats: meowing. Just like with dogs, our cats have learned to use some traits that help them communicate with us, including rubbing on us.

I can see why someone who knows nothing about feline, or animal, behavior wouldn't understand how nuanced, complicated, and different every animal carries their interpersonal relationships. These interpersonal relationships become even more complicated when it involves two completely different species.

I will end this by quickly discussing a common behavioral issue that feeds into this awful, untrue trope: cats "coaxing" you into false comfort by letting you pet them, then turning around and seemingly attacking you for no reason. While, like all animal behavior, there are many things that can cause this, the major culprit is overstimulation. Kittens who learned to hand play with owner's who did not respect their clear "knock it off" boundary setting often develop this type of sensory overstimulation. And, even with this being the case, most cats do in fact tell you when they have had enough. Please just keep an eye out for these things when petting/playing with your cat: widened pupils, tail wagging, frozen body language, and airplane ears (ears pulled back).

I have to thank Rafi Letzter who wrote "Sorry, Cat Haters, Science Isn’t On Your Side" for bringing this article to my attention. I highly recommend you go and read this article if you want to see someone else dig into this awful Vox article. Both articles discussed in this blog were written back in 2014, but are still myths people believe to this day. It really just comes down to this simple fact: research your pets. Research your breeds within the species you think you want. And, be willing to change your mind if you find out that it may not be a good match.